The “Water Cooler” is a feature on Claycord.com where we ask you a question or provide a topic, and you talk about it.
The “Water Cooler” will be up Monday-Friday at noon.
Today’s question:
Do you worry about your safety when you ride public transportation? If you don’t ride public transportation, would you worry if you had to ride it?
Talk about it!
Yes!
I started to ride buses and Bart to save money on gas. It’s amazing how it’s changed since I first wrote it 20 years ago. It’s full of bums druggies, in inner city youth this seems to roam through the car is looking for targets, looking you over and your possessions over.
What the hell has happened to Bay Area society?
Last week for the first time in my life someone pulled a gun on me two blocks from Bart. This is not fun! Worse yet your stupid cities like Berkeley or Oakland you can’t even get 911 to pick up the phone.
Is so crazy these most liberal communities pride themselves on equity, inclusion with diversity blah blah blah but the living quality stinks for everyone. They got their priorities upside down.
But answer your question NO
PS . Just today we heard from some x- Concordites who just moved to Franklin Tennessee. They love it! They said people are so friendly and so genuinely nice. They treat you like your long lost friends. And enjoy none of the liberal social dogmas continually pushed them all day long.
If things get any worse here we’re going to follow them to Tennessee. The Bay Area is beginning to stink big time
Don’t tell anyone, but Franklin is great. Neighborhoods hold progressive dinners ( Not that kind of progressive!) and get to know each other. Great area but getting pricey.
ON Bart? Of course!
If you’re using public transport never give up your seat to an old lady…
That’s how I lost my job as a bus drive unfortunately.
fortunately, l got got a new job.
Boss: Can you work this weekend?
Me: Yeah no worries but I’ll probably be a bit late as public transport is slow on weekends.
Boss: What time will you get here?
Me: Monday Unfortunately!!
😀😁🤣
Concordjet, how exactly did you lose your job by giving a seat to someone elderly? That does not sound right, please explain.
Hanne he was the bus driver.
Hanne,
He was the bus-driver!
It was a joke, Hanne.
So revealing . . . of what we already knew . . .
@concordjet – good ones!
Everyone else – chill out. You wanna be the joke police, take it elsewhere.
Get a life!
Who wouldn’t these days
Depends on if it’s dark out or not. If it’s pretty dark on the public transport, then no.
I worry about driving to the Oakland Airport, or driving on highway four. I wouldn’t worry that much on BART but I haven’t been on it for years, so not really sure what is going on. Seems like we are hatching a lot of sick people lately. Someone better grab control pretty soon. Don’t expect a democrat to do it. Can’t even be sure about Republicans though.
The last time I took public transportation (BART) was in 2019 with a friend, and both of us felt unsafe. Now, I would say, even more so of unsafe.
Living and working in Concord I drive wherever I need to go. Visiting my daughter in Pasadena or friends in Southern California I drive. When I go away for a few days, I usually drive, since most of the time I go to Yosemite, Tahoe or Clear Lake. Have some trip in mind this summer, Mt. Lassen, Trinity Alps, but I will drive. Years ago, when I visited my girlfriend in Seattle I drove, because I wanted to see things on the way, Portland, Mt. Hood. Driving back I took the coast road part of the way. My girlfriend and I spend 3 days in Vancouver and we drove from Seattle. Last time I took Bart was this December when I went with some friend to attend a party in the City, we had no problems coming or going, everyone was on their best behavior.
I have not been a fan of flying for many years, but since flying was the only way to get to Europe to visit friends and family, I would get on a plane to get there. I went to visit my family in Denmark in 2002, and after I made my reservation, I realized I was flying back on the 1 year anniversary of 9/11, it made me a little nervous, but since I flew SAS I figured I would probably be alright.
some people are such narcissists they just MUST share the most boring minutiae of their lives….zzzzzzzzz
@Cap, Most of Hanne’s comments are mini autobiographies. She has lived an interesting life and tells a good story. If you find them boring, you have the option of not reading them.
Have you ever heard the expression, “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all”?
When someone badmouths others, it reflects on their own insecurities.
Nobody likes a mean spirited person.
@Dawg,
“…comments are mini autobiographies”
Exactly, thanks for reiterating my point. Just remember the Neal Page hotel tirade in P,T,&A, words of wisdom. Finally, sir, I don’t give a hoot as to what you like.
So, Dawg posts: “Have you ever heard the expression, “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all”?
And Dawg also posts: “When someone badmouths others, it reflects on their own insecurities. Nobody likes a mean-spirited person.”
So, to sum it up:
– Hanne can post her derogatory opinions about others.
– Dawg can post its derogatory opinions about others.
– Ancient Mariner can post its derogatory opinions about others (see above).
– No one else can post derogatory opinions about others.
– Anyone other than H, D, & AM who post derogatory opinions about others must be severely chastised.
– Got it. I will obey.
Hey everybody, chill out. Put on some Dean Martin or other Rat Pack music, make yourself a dirty Martini with two olives and enjoy life a bit. It’s generally over much too soon.
I check to make sure the seat does not have a hypodermic needle on it before I sit down. BART can be much better if they secure the system so only paying customers can get into the station and on the trains. Things would get much better in a hurry, no more sleeping people all over the seats, people wouldn’t use it as a bathroom etc.
Nope. I haven’t been on public transportation for over 20 years. I don’t plan on using it, either.
Bernard Goetz in 1984 had enough of the harassment and took action on a Subway. At some point things needs to get fixed, or many people will start carrying weapons for protection.
Pablo, I don’t remember that.
I also remember that he ended up being punished more than what they punished criminals for. Just another case where the criminals get away with things but the good guy gets punished as an example. We have an upside down system.
Bernard Goetz was acquitted of the charges of assault, and attempted murder. He was found guilty of illegal possession of a gun and served one year in jail. He was later sued by one of the thugs that was paralyzed from the shooting.
I feel 100% safe on the ferry system.
You couldn’t pay me to ride BART again.
If you use public transit you had better be concerned about your safety or you’ll be even more likely to end up a victim.
Public transit aside it is getting less and less safe out there no matter where you are…Formerly “good” neighborhoods are being victimized at an ever increasing rate now too. Just look around.
It is so easy to see that a lack of consequences and a lack of prosecution lead directly to more and more crime. That is so obvious it is silly to even suggest otherwise. We the people can have a say in changing the way law and order are dispensed but will the voters here make the choices to do so?!? I honestly don’t know that they will.
Doesn’t matter if you’re on pub trans or not. You risk getting shot driving down the freeway.
I find packing some heat on the train helps to give you a secure feeling.
+1
The great thing is everyone, regardless of race or language, understands .38.
Less about my safety than for the safety of my kids. I am used to public T through less than desirable locales, throughout my years (not in CA), seen a few minor incidences. I have not been on BART during “off hours” in years, and would probably be on higher alert, but not worried, per se.
Do I worry about my safety from crime or disease? I haven’t used public transit in many years. The last time I rode BART was in 1994, and the last time I rode a bus was in the City, when it was fifteen cents.
If I had to use public transit, I’d be more concerned about disease than I would about crime. With all the filthy homeless riding on buses and trains, I don’t know what diseases they may be spreading around. In my experience as an RN working with IV drug users such as heroin addicts, about 90% of them are infected with the hepatitis C virus, and most of them aren’t even aware of it until they get a blood test specific for hep C and are informed by their health care provider.
With the stories I’ve heard of them shooting up on BART and buses, I’m sure they are spilling a drop or two of blood in the process. The hep C virus can survive on a dry surface for over 2 weeks.
💯 agree. I have found needles on Bart. Now, I double check the seat before I sit. Also someone accidentally sneezed on me. Someone, I want to wear a hazmat suit just to ride Bart
I was once read the riot act from a MUNI/BART foamer.
Told her I rode public transit for 40 years so I had paid my guilty white women dues. She insisted BART/MUNI/train were the only environmentally responsible ways to travel. Sadly, one evening while riding BART to the SF opera in her fur jacket she was accosted. So sad.
…yes! I used to use BART everyday…. now I would only as a last resort even though it may be faster thn driving and save me $$…. BART management needs a salary reduction with those funds going towards adding real LE …not just security observers – AND enforce the rules & write up the perps every time.
Yes. A couple of people on every BART train do not wear masks but more disturbing are the people who seem mentally ill, shouting, arguing loudly and swearing on their mobile phones, and shooting drugs in the last row.
The answer to any crime question…vote Mary Knox
I ride BART. I pay attention to my surroundings. Never had a problem. I don’t live my life in fear.
If you have ever used BART to and from the Oakland Airport you feel like a sitting duck. I carry a laptop for business meetings sitting waiting for the train is how everyone was robbed. I was lucky the police showed up when I was waiting but it was the last time I took BART back from the airport.
I don’t ride BART often, but feel safe when I do. Of course I’m carrying a gun and pepper spray, the right one for any given situation.
108RS
Not on a bet. With the thieves and theft, druggies and homeless people and their filth and the overpriced tickets I will walk or drive 1st. Am tired of paying for all the freeloaders in increased fares and paying the salaries of the corrupt people on the boards.
Plus just read that at PH Bart yesterday one of my neighbors had their 1998 SUV stolen from the parking lot.
Why subject myself to this lunacy???
Enough said.
Public Transit has always been unsafe. When I lived in SF in my twenties, Everyday was a male peep show in the back of the bus. I learned to sit up by the driver, hoping he was on the up and up.
Ancient Mariner you have more work to do “defending” Hanne.
You will also need to properly chastise several others (see below) who have the audacity to comment on someone who you deem worthy of your support.
I don’t take public transportation
I worry more about my car getting broken into. I can take care of myself..
We ride BART four plus years ago to SFO at around 7:00 pm. Sat in the first car, about 1/3 of the way back, and some young kids were sorting out their crack. I was appalled and swore that day my life is worth too much to ever ride BART again. Also, it is disgusting, filthy and the people who roam the cars looking for an easy target are not going to have me as one of their choices.
Interesting though, many other cities have public transportation and yet, the riders are usually decent and respectful (ex D.C.) but I would no more ride BART through SF again than I would willingly mill around The Tenderloin.
Can’t wait to leave this ruined state.
WDG